1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to processing of documents that are accessed over computer networks and, more particularly, to notification of network events involving such documents.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer document processing systems typically receive documents for storage and place the documents in network data storage for retrieval by network users. The document processing is an important function that must be carefully and efficiently performed. For example, a health care delivery system at a facility such as a hospital or medical center will receive and store documents of many different types. It is critical for the health of patients that documents are delivered to appropriate medical staff, with no loss of information. Some document processing systems are integrated with message handling functions. The documents may be received, for example, as attachments to messages. A hospital computer network may have the capability to process documents and messages of different message types. For example, an integrated hospital document processing system might have the capability of storing telephone messages, email or other electronic messages, and also documents, with functionality for data distribution, storage, and access among the different offices or laboratories of the hospital. Other facilities have similarly varied and stringent requirements for processing incoming documents and managing access to them.
Many of the documents (and the messages that often accompany or bring such documents to the facility) must be reviewed, studied, or otherwise handled by facility personnel. In the hospital setting, such personnel can include physicians, specialists, medical support staff, and administrative support staff. In addition, documents might be received from, or might need to be handled by or provided to, outside personnel, such as laboratory personnel, clinicians, governmental agency personnel, suppliers, and the like. Document processing systems for other facilities can have a similarly varied array of persons who need to handle documents and also provide such documents.
With the advent of data access, privacy, and management requirements imposed by regulations (such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 in the U.S.A., referred to as HIPAA) and the like, it is becoming increasingly important for document processing systems to carefully control access to documents, and carefully archive processed documents for later access. Such regulatory schemes often have stringent requirements for proof of timely action in response to received documents. It is therefore important for a document processing system to provide verification of proper document processing and timely handling.
It would be advantageous if a document processing system could automatically provide for needed verification of document processing and also assist in ensuring that appropriate personnel have performed their assigned document tasks.
From the discussion above, it should be apparent that there is a need for a document processing system that can provide verification of document processing tasks and can assist personnel in ensuring appropriate document handling. The present invention fulfills this need. Other problems with the prior art not described above can also be overcome using the teachings of the present invention, as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this disclosure.